Single wax tablet

Product description

The cera (Latin for tabula cerata – wax tablet) was a small writing board made from a hard material such as boxwood, beech, or even bone. At the center of the board sat a recessed area filled with a layer of dark wax.

Writers used a stylus to mark the wax—a pointed tool made from metal, wood, or bone (Greek: st?los, Latin: stilus). Scratch marks into the wax with the tip, then smooth them away when you're done. This made the tablet reusable. People used wax tablets for everyday notes, task reminders, debts, obligations, and as drafts of texts later copied onto papyrus or parchment. Using a wax tablet was simply more economical.

Sealed wax tablets also served official purposes—drafting wills, delivering secret orders, statements, receipts, and reports. The oldest known archaeological example dates to the 7th century BCE, found in Etruria (Italy). In Europe, wax tablets remained in widespread use until the mid-19th century.

Writing

Use the pointed end of the stylus to carve letters into the wax with light downward pressure.

Erasing

Use the flat side of the stylus to smooth the wax. Keep the stylus flat, rest your index finger on the flattened side, and pull it across the wax (don't push). This lets you reuse the tablet again and again.

This wax tablet features a single writing surface. The wax is made from beeswax and is black. It measures 14 × 9 cm and comes with a cotton pouch.